Lunch spot near 43rd & 6th

[avass]

I'm going to be in NYC for one day, at 43rd & 6th. Looking for a good lunch spot to catch up with 2 old friends. Prefer cheap, tasty ... falafel is a big favorite, but open to other cuisines too. Everyone is short on time so we can't stray too far.

[Pan]

Depending on your taste, you could consider Szechuan Gourmet, 39 St. between 5th and 6th. Not exceptionally cheap, but $20-25/person can be done easily there.

[Peter Cuce]

That's what I was going to suggest, but you can easily have a great lunch there for under $10 just by getting one of their lunch specials, almost none of which are dumbed down in American-Chinese fashion.

[Pan]

That's really useful information. I was assuming that the lunch specials were dumbed down, as they are at the Grand Sichuans, for instance. I shouldn't have assumed.

[Peter Cuce]

One day my friend and I went in there after having tried practically every lunch special over the course of a year and decided to give the General Tso's Chicken a whirl (or the Orange Beef, or something of that ilk), reasoning that if they did their standard lunch specials so well, their renditions of Chinese-American classics must be stellar as well. Well let me tell you, that was one of the worst versions of that dish ever, chicken like a rock, badly seasoned.
So yeah, lunch specials are generally great, but stick to the Szechuan dishes.

[TryThis]

Check out the map on the attached website to find lunch options in mid-town.

http://midtownlunch.com/

[ssf36]

If that day is Mon - Thur and the weather is nice, head over to Moishe's falafel cart on 46th & 6th, then eat out back at Bryant Park (don't forget to grab a plastic fork and napkins).

[fonduewcheddar]

Olympic Pita is so so good for falafel. They make their own laffa bread on site and you can fill a container from their salad bar for free with your falafel.
If you need something closer, try Cafe Zaiya on the second floor of the Japanese bookstore on 6th between 40 and 41st. They have high quality prepackaged japanese food including sushi, bento boxes, salads and sandwiches and the cafe has a beautiful view overlooking Bryant Park.

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Olympic Pita
58 W 38th St, New York, NY 10018

Cafe Zaiya
1073 6th Ave, New York, NY 10018

[Miss Needle]

I love Cafe Zaiya but it's really difficult to get a seat during lunch hours. It's also quite noisy so catching up may be difficult.

Second Olympic Pita and Szechuan Gourmet.

[phantomdoc]

Johns Pizza is right up your alley.